All the main GTA 5 characters: Michael De Santa, Franklin Clinton and Trevor Philips, their special abilities, Michael's family, Lester, Lamar, the FIB agents and the actors who gave the characters their voices.
The three leads of GTA 5
The GTA 5 characters are built around a trio Rockstar describes as "a young street hustler, a retired bank robber and a terrifying psychopath". You switch between them on the streets of Los Santos and Blaine County, and in missions, right in the middle of a shootout or a chase.
Michael De Santa is a former bank robber who has retired and lives a wealthy but unhappy family life. He is in constant conflict with his wife Amanda and his kids Jimmy and Tracey. Michael's ability is slowing down time in gunfights so he can aim precisely.
Franklin Clinton is a young man from South Los Santos who makes a living from small-time crime and wants to move up. His friend is Lamar, and his loyal companion is Chop the rottweiler. Franklin's ability is slowing down time behind the wheel, which helps him take corners at speed.
Trevor Philips is Michael's old partner, impulsive and dangerous, with his own "business" in Blaine County. Trevor's ability is rage: he deals more damage and takes less (guides differ slightly on the details).
You trigger the ability by pressing both sticks at once on a controller, or Caps Lock on PC.
GTA 5 characters and voice actors
The names of the actors who voiced and performed the characters match across reference sources and player databases (GTABase, Wikipedia).
| Character | Who he or she is in the game | Actor |
|---|---|---|
| Michael De Santa | retired robber, one of the three leads | Ned Luke |
| Franklin Clinton | young street hustler, one of the three leads | Shawn Fonteno |
| Trevor Philips | Michael's old partner, one of the three leads | Steven Ogg |
| Lester Crest | heist planner | Jay Klaitz |
| Lamar Davis | Franklin's best friend | Slink Johnson |
| Amanda De Santa | Michael's wife | Vicki Van Tassel |
| Jimmy De Santa | Michael's son | Danny Tamberelli |
| Tracey De Santa | Michael's daughter | Michal Sinnott |
| Steve Haines | FIB agent | Robert Bogue |
| Dave Norton | FIB agent, an old acquaintance of Michael's | Julian Gamble |
| Devin Weston | billionaire investor | Jonathan Walker |
| Martin Madrazo | drug lord | Alfredo Huereca |
| Stretch (Harold Joseph) | Franklin and Lamar's acquaintance from the neighborhood | Hassan Johnson |
| Wade Hebert | Trevor's sidekick | Matthew Maher |
The voice track in GTA 5 is English only, so English speakers hear the performances exactly as they were recorded. Subtitles and other languages are covered on the GTA 5 languages page.
Supporting characters who matter to the story
- Lester Crest is the brains behind every big job: he finds the targets, plans the heists and gives Franklin separate assassination contracts tied to the stock market.
- Lamar Davis is Franklin's old friend, and Franklin's part of the story starts with him.
- The De Santa family: Amanda, Jimmy and Tracey. Family fights pull Michael into several story missions of their own.
- FIB agents Steve Haines and Dave Norton: their assignments drive a large part of the main story.
- Wade and Ron are Trevor's sidekicks in Blaine County.
- Chop is Franklin's dog, whom you can walk and take on separate tasks.
The full list of missions for each lead is on the GTA 5 missions page.
How character switching works
Outside missions, each character lives his own life: switch to Trevor and you might find him in an unexpected place and situation. In missions, switching is often part of the design: one lead flies the helicopter, another covers with a sniper rifle, the third goes inside. Each has his own money, wardrobe, property and skill stats (shooting, driving, stamina and so on), which grow with practice.
Which of the three ends up at the center of the finale depends on the player's decision: the game has three endings. We are not giving away spoilers, but Franklin makes the choice.
The leads of the next game in the series, Jason and Lucia, are covered on the GTA 6 characters page.
GTA 5 characters FAQ
What are the names of the main characters in GTA 5?
Michael De Santa, Franklin Clinton and Trevor Philips. You can switch between them at almost any point in the game.
Who voices Trevor in GTA 5?
Steven Ogg. Michael is voiced by Ned Luke and Franklin by Shawn Fonteno.
Who is Lester in GTA 5?
Lester Crest is the heist planner and an old acquaintance of Michael's. Through him the leads take on the big jobs and the stock market assassinations.
What special abilities do the GTA 5 characters have?
Michael slows down time in gunfights, Franklin slows it down behind the wheel, and Trevor goes into a rage, dealing more damage and taking less.
Who is the main character in GTA 5?
Formally, all three are equal. Michael and Trevor open the game in the prologue, then the story moves to Franklin, and he is the one who makes the choice in the finale.